Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1061132
12 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018/2019 { editor's notebook } The Sonoma County Barrel Auction, set for May 3, 2019, is an invitation-only event for licensed members of the wine trade held at MacMurray Estate Vineyards in Healdsburg, California. Guests have the rare opportunity to taste, bid, and possibly own one-of-a-kind wines handcrafted for the auction by Sonoma County's legendary vintners and growers. Auction lots range from five to 20 cases, giving buyers the opportunity to offer original wines for resale to their customers and ultra- premium wine collectors. Showcasing the ex - ceptional stylistic range and world-class quality of wines from Sonoma County, the fifth annual Sonoma County Barrel Auction is a must-attend event for industry professionals. For more information or to request tickets, visit sonomawine.com/barrelauction. Sonoma County Barrel Auction Returns in May 2019 { publisher's notebook } Tea Sommelier: A Step-by-Step Guide by François-Xavier Delmas and Mathias Minet Whenever someone asks me what they should do to prepare for the Level One introductory course and exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers, I always recommend the same book: Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World. It paints in colorful, broad strokes, offers plenty of pictures, and keeps dense and cumbersome subject matter light and entertaining enough for beginners to handle. Although I myself am not a tea sommelier, I've loved tea as long as I can remember thanks to my English grandmother. I also much prefer the subtle and feminine com - plexities of tea to coffee, and while those are admittedly my only qualifications, I still feel quite strongly that Tea Sommelier is the tea industry's equivalent to Windows on the World. The book also inserts humor where appropriate, particularly through the retro-style illustra- tions by Lauriane Tiberghien: I'll never forget the image of a maniacal lemon holding a cup of tea at gunpoint to signify that lemon kills the delicate flavor of any tea. I have only one minor quibble: the page dedicated to listing reasons why tea is better than wine. Many books on beer do this, too, and, as usual, it feels like comparing apples to oranges. Reading Tea Sommelier has truly inspired me to continue my studies in tea—now I just need to figure out a way to get to Paris to take Level 1 at the L'École du Thé! ABBEVILLE PUBLISHING GROUP Beer Hacks: 100 Tips, Tricks, and Projects by Ben Robinson Perhaps this book's greatest attri - bute is its amusing design executed in the style of an airplane emer- gency card. Plenty of useful tips and tricks can also be found within its pages, like how to safely tap a keg or use a binder clip to stack bottles of beer in a pyramid in the refrigerator. Although the content is basic and plays to the humorous side in lieu of pursuing a more educa - tional angle, this book would make a great gift for any beer lover. It even comes with a bottle opener built into the cover, and I'm now convinced all books should come this way. WORKMAN PUBLISHING Text Tasting